Yup, that's what I think. It would be a surprise to me if he plays 200 NHL games (typical definition of "making it") - but who knows? With Gerbe, Ennis, Parise, and even St. Louis paving the way for small skilled forwards, maybe I'll be wrong.

Also, Anton Rodin has a shot because he has the skill, but he plays like Taylor Hall - often skating recklessly into hard checks, and getting injured.

Taylor Matson might make it as a bottom 6 checker/penalty killer, much like Alex Friesen - however Friesen has more scoring upside.

Connauton's offensive skills will probably get him a shot, but I will still be surprised if he makes it. Sauve and Polasek are possibilities, but unlikely IMO.

Much appreciated, SC! I do have some concern about a particular gap in our prospect pool. Where are the Dwight King types? He's listed at 6'3" an 234, and has been a beast on the forecheck! Along with young Nolan (also big and hard-hitting). The hard forechecking style of play certainly seems to be here for a while, yet we don't seem to have drafted with that style in mind. Instead, Gillis has tried to fill that need by signing free agents. And that has had marginal results (when you think about signing other teams' cast-offs to fulfill a real need, you can't expect great results!).

Orcasfan wrote:Much appreciated, SC! Gillis has tried to fill that need by signing free agents. And that has had marginal results hmmm:

Personally the more I think about it the more I think that is a major flaw in the MG regime. Pro Scouting, you can't sign Free Agents with a 50% success ratio. Sturm, Booth, Ballard which amounts to huge Cap waste....and then expect success on the ice. They have 6 Pro Scouts lead by Lorne Henning and Eric Crawford ( he's listed as Director, Professional Scouting ) I heard MG make a passing remark about "changes" within the club this summer and I can't help but think this is the area he will be taking aim at. I think the amteur scouts seem to be holding their end up...not brilliant but I'd have to think above average. They've been there a long time and have made regular good picks ( i know they have had some stinkers but they've also drafted some real quality )

The funny thing is every time you turn on the TV/Radio you here the "experts" telling us all how deep the Canucks are.

As a rule of thumb how can you judge a teams drafting.Do they need to get one NHL players out of each draft...2.....3 I don't know but I'm thinking it's close to one per draft. Some years are good and some are dogs but on average.....

I think you need to be getting about 3 players every 2 years to replace the guys you are losing to free agency. Of course if they are all permanent fringe/depth players then you still have to address needs via trade and free agency.

Alexandre Grenier, the Canucks’ third-round pick (90th overall) in last year’s NHL entry draft, has signed a one-year contract to play next season in Austria’s top professional league. The Canucks, who made Grenier a contract offer to retain his rights for another year, are onside with the move and see it as a better option for the 20-year-old right winger. Grenier will play for high-­profile EC Red Bull Salzburg, who are coached by former NHL coach and GM Pierre Page. “He had an opportunity to go to Europe and play against men and to play for a really good hockey man in Pierre Page,” said Canucks assistant GM Laurence Gilman on Thursday. “We supported that wholeheartedly and we’ll continue to track him there.” Gilman said playing for Salzburg is a better fit for Grenier than the East Coast Hockey, where he would begin his professional career if he stayed in North America. Grenier, a big (6-foot-5, 200 pounds) player with good offensive skills who is a classic late-bloomer, had a solid first full season of major junior with Halifax Mooseheads. He collected 25 goals 64 points in 64 games in the regular season and four goals and 16 points in 17 playoff games. But just as Grenier showed soft hands and an affinity for the power play, he also needs work on playing in traffic and cutting down on turnovers. “He’s a late-bloomer, an intriguing prospect, that’s why we drafted him in the third round,” said Gilman. “If things go well this year, we would look at signing him next year.” With Friday being the deadline for signing players drafted in 2010, the Canucks opted not to offer contracts to goaltender Jonathan Iilahti (175th overall) and defenceman Sawyer Hannay (205th overall), and will no longer own their rights.